Kava pyrones and resin: studies on GABAA, GABAB and benzodiazepine binding sites in rodent brain.

Kava, an intoxicating beverage prepared from the pepper plant Piper methysticum, is widely consumed by the indigenous peoples in the islands of the South Pacific. As the first of a series of studies on the neuropharmacological interactions of kava with CNS receptors we tested purified pyrones and kava resin for activity on GABA and benzodiazepine binding sites in rat and mouse brain membranes. Only weak activity was observed on GABAA binding sites in washed synaptosomal membranes prepared from rat brain and this was abolished by extraction of the membranes with Triton X-100, suggesting that lipid soluble components were involved. No effects were observed on GABAB binding sites in rat brain membranes in vitro. Kava resin and pyrones exerted some weak effects on benzodiazepine binding in vitro but this did not correlate with pharmacological activity. In addition, in ex vivo studies, no effects were observed on [3H]diazepam binding to brain membranes prepared from mice in which selected kava constituents were injected intraperitoneally, whereas similarly administered diazepam (5 mg/kg) inhibited [3H]diazepam binding by greater than 95%. Similar lack of activity was observed in in vivo binding studies; injection of kava resin failed to influence the CNS binding of the benzodiazepine-receptor ligand [3H]Ro15-1788 injected into mice prior to sacrifice. The pharmacological activities of kava resin and pyrones do not appear to be explained by any significant interaction with GABA or benzodiazepine binding sites.

The antinociceptive actions of kava components in mice.

1. The antinociceptive properties of the aqueous extract of the intoxicating beverage kava, and of the lipid soluble extract (kava resin) were tested in mice, by the tail immersion and abdominal constriction methods. Both extracts showed analgesic effects in both tests. 2. Eight purified pyrones from the lipid soluble extract were also tested for activity in the tail immersion test, and kawain, dihydrokawain, methysticin and dihydromethysticin were found to be very effective in producing analgesia. Using the tail immersion test the time course of action of the extracts of the four effective pyrones of kava were studied. 3. Naloxone, in doses which inhibited morphine-induced analgesia in both tests, was completely ineffective in reversing the antinociceptive activities of the kava extracts, showing that analgesia produced by kava occurs via non-opiate pathways.

Positive interaction of ethanol and kava resin in mice.

1. The lipid soluble extract of the psychoactive beverage kava has hypnosedative properties which can be measured by the length of time that the righting reflex is lost. 2. Ethanol and the lipid soluble extract (kava resin) have been shown greatly to increase each others hypnotic action in mice. Ethanol also increases the toxicity of kava markedly. 3. This interaction of kava and alcohol has important clinical and social consequences since, in contrast to traditional usage, kava is now often taken in conjunction with alcoholic drinks.

Effect of aqueous and lipid-soluble extracts of kava on the conditioned avoidance response in rats.

The aqueous, pyrone-free extract from kava (Piper methysticum) and the lipid-soluble extract (kava resin) were tested for their effect on amphetamine-induced hypermotility in mice and on conditioned avoidance response behavior in rats in a shelf-jump apparatus. Both kava extracts reduced amphetamine-induced hypermotility. Aqueous kava extract in i.p. doses of 30 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg had no effect on conditioned avoidance responses. At or below 100 mg/kg i.p. kava resin also failed to modify the number of conditioned avoidance responses obtained. However, 125 mg/kg of resin significantly reduced the number of conditioned avoidance responses by 18%. Increasing the dose of kava to 150 mg/kg caused ataxia and sedation which was so marked that a modified protocol was necessary. Only a marginally greater effect on conditioned avoidance response was obtained under these conditions. The effect of kava extract was slight compared to that of the standard antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine and haloperidol in our procedure.

Comparison of the central nervous system activity of the aqueous and lipid extract of kava (Piper methysticum).

The central nervous activity of the aqueous extract of kava was examined in mice, and compared to the effect of the lipid-soluble extract. The aqueous extract caused a loss of spontaneous activity without loss of muscle tone. No hypnotic effect was seen, but some analgesia was produced. The anticonvulsant effect against strychnine was very slight and there was no evidence of local anesthetic action. There was a slight anti-apomorphine effect and tetrabenazine-induced ptosis was decreased. The lipid-soluble extract (kava resin) also decreased spontaneous motility, together with a marked reduction of motor control. Hypnosis, determined by loss of righting reflex, was produced, analgesia was marked, and a local anesthetic action evident. Kava resin also decreased apomorphine-induced hyperreactivity and partially reversed tetrabenazine-induced ptosis. Kava resin produces a greater range of pharmacological actions than the aqueous extract, and the latter is orally inactive in mice and rats. The pharmacological effects of kava ingestion appear to be due to the activity of the compounds present in the lipid-soluble fraction.

Identification of some human urinary metabolites of the intoxicating beverage kava.

Methane chemical ionization (CI) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been used to identify some of the human urinary metabolites of the kava lactones following ingestion of kava prepared by the traditional method of aqueous extraction of Piper methysticum. All seven major, and several minor, kava lactones were identified in human urine. Observed metabolic transformations include the reduction of the 3,4-double bond and/or demethylation of the 4-methoxyl group of the alpha-pyrone ring system. Demethylation of the 12-methoxy substituent in yangonin (or alternatively hydroxylation at C-12 of desmethoxyyangonin) was also recognised. This product was isolated by high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of crude urine extracts and characterised by methane CI GC-MS. In contrast to the situation prevailing in the rat no dihydroxylated metabolites of the kava lactones, or products from ring opening of the 2-pyrone ring system, were identified in human urine. GC-MS analysis of urine can be readily utilised to determine whether donors have recently consumed kava.

Uptake into mouse brain of four compounds present in the psychoactive beverage kava.

A technique using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and deuterated internal standards is described for the quantitation in brain tissue of four constituents of the intoxicating beverage kava. Dihydrokawain, kawain, desmethoxyyangonin, and yangonin were administered ip to mice at a dosage of 100 mg/kg. At specific time intervals (5, 15, 30, and 45 min), the mice were sacrificed and the brain concentrations of these four compounds determined. After 5 min, dihydrokawain and kawain attained maximum concentrations of 64.7 +/- 13.1 and 29.3 +/- 0.8 ng/mg wet brain tissue, respectively, and were rapidly eliminated. In contrast, desmethoxyyangonin and yangonin had poorly defined maxima corresponding to concentrations of 10.4 +/- 1.5 and 1.2 +/- 0.3 ng/mg wet brain tissue, respectively, and these compounds were more slowly eliminated from brain tissue. When crude kava resin was administered ip at a dosage of 120 mg/kg, the concentration in brain of kawain and yangonin markedly increased (2 and 20 times, respectively) relative to the values measured from their individual injection. In contrast, dihydrokawain and desmethoxyyangonin, after the administration of crude resin, remained at the percentage incorporation into brain tissue established for their individual ip injection.

Interaction of N-acetylcysteine and bleomycin on hyperbaric oxygen-induced lung damage in mice.

Lung damage in mice exposed to hyperbaric oxygen was assessed by measurement of wet and dry lung weights. The clinically useful thiol compound, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is known to maintain tissue levels of reduced glutathione, was found to protect lungs of mice compressed to 445 and 515 kPa oxygen for 30 min. NAC was administered intraperitoneally and the optimal conditions found to be 400 mg/kg 15 min-1 hr before compression. The antineoplastic agent bleomycin, which frequently causes life-threatening lung damage, was administered intratracheally (5 mg/kg), and potentiated lung damage caused by hyperbaric oxygen (445 kPa). NAC effectively protected the lungs of mice exposed to the combined deleterious effect of bleomycin and hyperbaric oxygen.

Potent inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by marine natural products.

Many lipid-soluble extracts from various marine organisms have a nonspecific depressant effect on smooth muscle contractions. Novel compounds isolated from such lipid-soluble extracts were tested for their effects on the respiration of rat liver mitochondria and produced potent stimulation or inhibition of oxygen uptake by the mitochondria.

Anticonvulsant activity of farnesylacetone epoxide--a novel marine natural product.

A marine natural product, farnesylacetone epoxide, which is chemically related to juvenile hormone, has anticonvulsant properties at nonsedative doses in mice.